Michigan football coach Brady Hoke believes redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson will be a player to watch this fall. Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com

If Michigan's new pro-style offense is going to have any type of vertical threat this season, the Wolverines are going to need at least one breakout showing from a wide receiver.

Michigan knows what it has in seniors Jeremy Gallon and Drew Dileo, a pair of undersized wideouts who have proven they can catch anything in sight, and be terrific chain-moving weapons.

But down the field, outside of sophomore tight end Devin Funchess, the Wolverines have a few question marks.

During his appearance Thursday on ESPN's "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd, Michigan coach Brady Hoke was asked to name one little-known offensive threat poised for a breakout campaign.

He didn't hesitate.

"One of the surprise dark horse guys will be a young man we redshirted a year ago," Hoke said. "Wide receiver Jehu Chesson. He's a young man out of St. Louis, 6-foot-4, wide receiver, track guy, (can) catch it, works hard."

Hoke's take on a surprise breakout player is a bit different than the answer quarterback Devin Gardner gave to the same question last week in Chicago.

The position group is the same. The name is different.

Gardner pointed to sophomore wideout Amara Darboh, a 6-foot-2, 213-pounder who participated mainly on special teams last season, as one to watch in Michigan's vertical passing game.

And while Hoke obviously isn't down on Darboh, his quickness to single out Chesson seems to at least mean Michigan believes it could have two new rangy pass catching weapons this fall.

Chesson, who was a three-star recruit, was a candidate to see playing time early last season as Michigan attempted to figure out what its wide receiving corps would look like. Michigan opted to redshirt the St. Louis native and play Darboh. But moving into 2013, it appears both will have a shot at seeing snaps.

A former state champion 100-meter sprinter, Chesson put on roughly 10 pounds this offseason (up to 193), and impressed teammates during spring camp with his ability to make big plays.

"Jehu, in one-on-ones, he’s just flying by people with his speed," Gallon said in March. "Doing all these amazing things. You can tell he’s learning."